Wednesday Wash

 

A storm came in from the east late yesterday afternoon. 

We heard a lot of thunder and saw a little bit of lightning.

Most importantly, we received a good dousing of rain, which is generally good because the next few days will be hot and dry. 

Some farmers may not have liked the storm if they had their hay down.

In my perspective, however, I was glad to see my pastures get a moisture boost. 

The photos above show this morning's aftermath and yesterday afternoon's lead-up to the storm. 

⛈⛈⛈⛈⛈⛈⛈⛈🌈🌈

We received some bad news yesterday from our implement wizard Tony. 

The clutch on the Kubota needs to be replaced. 

Bill noticed that the tractor didn't have much power when he drove it up the lane the other day. 

So, when Tony came to fix a problem on the lawnmower, he spent some time with the tractor and soon determined that its unwillingness to move forward or sometimes backward was definitely a clutch problem. 

It will be an expensive and time-consuming fix, but Bill and I both agree that we NEED the tractor. It's been pretty amazing for 17 years, so I guess it's time for some repairs.

Still, the sticker shock definitely stings. 

💲💲💲💲💲💲💲 

Great News for American Elections

from this morning's New York Times

Yesterday, the Supreme Court took a step in a high-profile case to preserve democratic checks and balances.

The details of the case, Moore v. Harper, can sound technical. But it is simply about which officials can oversee federal elections.  The petitioner, a North Carolina lawmaker, had sought to radically reshape how federal elections are conducted.  The court ruled that state legislatures do not have unchecked power over elections and that other government officials can question and overturn their decisions.

Chief Justice John Roberts and two other conservatives joined the court’s three liberals in the ruling.  The Constitution, Roberts wrote, “does not exempt state legislatures from the ordinary constraints imposed by state law.”

Why does the ruling matter? Because it makes it more difficult for partisan state legislatures to flout the law or norms to keep their party in power, at a time when most legislatures have one-party supermajorities. Under the Supreme Court ruling, other officials can step in if they feel state lawmakers went too far in rewriting election law. The decision, then, could influence which party controls Congress in the future. from Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville How the Supreme Court decision affects the upcoming Initiative Drive for Open Primaries in Idaho.  Dear Supporters of the Open Primaries Initiative, Today we've received very good news from the United States Supreme Court: The court has rejected the fringe legal theory that Attorney General Raúl Labrador has used to criticize the Open Primaries Initiative.  In his recent review, Labrador stated that our initiative "likely violates the Federal Constitution with respect to the election of United States Senators and Representatives." In order to make his case, Labrador leaned on a legal theory called "the independent state legislature theory," which states that only state legislatures can reform laws related to federal elections.  Today, the United States Supreme Court rejected Labrador's theory by a vote of 6-3.  But make no mistake, this is not the last we'll hear from the Attorney General. In the months ahead, he will continue to attack the Open Primaries Initiative with baseless arguments, and we must be prepared to fight back. We are currently awaiting the final approval of our initiative by the Idaho Secretary of State. In the meantime, we're getting organized all across the state and preparing to mount a winning campaign. Will you chip in $5 or more today to support this work?  chip in $5 or more Thank you!  Luke Mayville Co-Founder, Reclaim Idaho PS: You can read more about today's US Supreme Court decision here.  👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Meanwhile, check out the links below.   Why is it that those in charge of our local governmental entities cannot carry on a meeting? Also, why is it necessary to leave an open meeting four times with your cell phone, go behind a closed door and then come back with answers.  Not even subtle, I'd say.  https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2023/jun/28/isba-denies-role-wbcsd-counsel-hire/ 😠👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎😠 Hats off to Daily Bee editor Caroline Lobsinger for checking out the validity of a statement made after one of those interludes in makeshift telephone booth.  In the "breakdown of decorum" department:  https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2023/jun/28/public-comments-stopped-bocc-meetings/ 😠👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎😠 These and a gazillion other examples of our elected leaders' behavior makes one wonder why former Wyoming U.S. Representative Liz Cheney suggests, "What we've done in our politics is create a situation where we're electing idiots." Is it still possible that we could do better?